Means for securing an instrument to an instrument panel



E. N. JACOBI May 15, 1956 MEANS FOR SECURING AN INSTRUMENT TO AN INSTRUMENT PANEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 00 7, 1954 y 5, 1956 E. N. JACOBI 2,745,275

MEANS FOR SECURING AN INSTRUMENT TO AN INSTRUMENT PANEL Filed 001;. 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Edwin JV. Jamil MEANS'FOR SECURING AN INSTRUMENT. T AN INSTRUMENT PANEL fzEdward N. Jacobi, .Milwaukee, Wis., :assignor'to Briggs &nStratton1C0rporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application 0ctoberj7, 1954,.Serial No. 460,806

13 Claims. (Cl. 70-379) Tflais rinventionconcernsithe. s'ecurement of instruments 'to instrument'panels or the like,and .hasmore particular rre'ferencev tozimprovements in means by which'an instruiment maybe fastened to a panel without the use of: screws :ortoolsof any 'kind.

:In general it is the purpose of. this invention to provide for: securement of an instrument to the rear of a'panel by .means of abezel member applied to the front of the panel -withnits :aperture in. register with a. hole in the panel through which theinstrument is accessible. According to invention :at'mounting member on the instrument is firmly secured to: the back of the instrument panel by the bezelamember, without .the use. of tools of any kind, J'th'rough the. inter-engagement of means on the bezel mem- :-b.er.' and the instrument mountingmember which cooperate to:.-provide a'bayonetrconnection .between said members I. causing the same; totightly clampaportion ofthe panel zbetweenjthem and to :betthus securely held in'position on the panel.

withzthet-aboveandother objects inview, which-will & appearras'. theydescriptiomproceeds, this invention resides in rthesnovel: construction; combination and arrangement not parts substantiallyms hereinafter described and more rparticularlyt defined by the .appended:claims,3 it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of 'ithenherein -.diSl0Sd= 1'nVenfiOn "may :be made as. come -within :the: scope of the; claims.

The :accompanying-.:drawings ='.illustrate :one complete :exampleof' the'physical embodiment-of the :inventioncon- StIUClICdi-BCCOIdlIlg to the-"best mode so far ."devised' for -the practical application, of :the1principle8 thereof, and in -which:

E-Figure. l isaa 'viewzpartlyzin side-.elevationand partly in "section showing an instrument mounted :upon the :back'of an instrument panel by means ofthis invention;

Figure'l isa plan view :thereof,:portions being shown cut away;

Figure 3 -is agroupzperspective View. showing itheain- .istrumentzand the bezelrmember separated from the panel;

rFigtl1'6s4aEiS a fragmentaryiperspective view* looking at -.thezback-of the instrument 1panel.and showing the instru- :-ment in: a. state :ofr-partial assembly thereto;

Z-Eigure 5.is..a;group perspective View showing the comgponentr-parts- -of; thevbezel member separated fromqone another; 1 and rFigure=6 is a. cross sectional viewtaken Ethrough- Figure 1 along-.:the plane :of the; line 66.

:R'eferring fHOWI to; Ithe accompanying drawings, the 'nu- :amerahSxdesignates a substantially 'flat' upright panelof sheet metalo'r the like; having an instrument 6-mounted itsbabk by means of a bezel member' 7 engagedover a portion'of-the-panel at the front-thereof.

The mshfument' here shown for purposes of'illustration "isa 'push' button'type cylinder lo'ck such .as' is generally 'proi ide'd'fo'r theglove compartmentof an automobile;

.afidTthe se'c'tibnef .pan'ell 5..having..th'e lock mounted thereon maybe either'the .door of the glove compartment United States Patent member. paneLnthe spring arms 31 areaccommodated inthelateror a portioncf the instrument panel directly-adjacent to the door-"opening.

As iscustomary; the lock comprises a cylinder 9*rotatably mounted ina casing- 10; which casing, for the sake-of convenience, can be termedthe mounting member of the instrument. The front of the lock'cylinderprojects forwardly from its casing and provides a push button 11-by which the cylinder is depressible into-its-casing -toefiect disengagementofa latch bolt from a keeper- (not shown) thereby to allow the compartmentdoor to be opened.

The panel has an accesshole 12 therein -to' loosely receive thetront end-portioni13 of the lock casing or=mounting member 18, and through which' the latter-projects. The bezel member, of course,- covers the-edge of the access opening-'12 in thepanel and the front of-the-lock casing, to generally improve'the appearance-of the installation, and it has an aperture 15 throughwhich the -push 'button projects andamearwardly extending cylindrical skirt l7..on;:its peripheryrwhich abuts thefront-:of the panel. According to this invention; the bezel: member 7 serves to prevent rotation of. the instrument in. the access ole inxthe. panel and also-precludes. rearward: axial displacementzofthe instrument off of the panel-by reason of the; engagement :of. a-pair of hook-like spring :fingers: 18 on zthe'bezelzmember with lugs? 39. on the lock casing to provide a'bayonet connection designated generally-byflOgbe- "twcenthc-lock casingandbezelrmember, as more particularly-described? hereinafter.

The gement: ofv the, front: end portion 13 ofthe' lock casing ,ifii'inzthenaccess:hole; I12-:=serves.v to :locate :the :in-

, strumenton the; panel;;and:the extent-t0 whichi'the .:front :portion Y 13 of -the:,casing: projects; forwardly: through the .accessr hole eis determined bystherengagementnof abutments19von zthev front ofrthe lugs 19 with the rear face of To assure stable mounting .ofithe instrument ing- :their "front; panel-engaging; faces coplanar :with :those on the lugs 19.

iTheiabezel': member ais: oftwoepiece; construction, comprising. an outer; shell 2220f; bright metal. and a liar ringlikeinner-membenZS.of-spring material having the spring .fin'gers; lsaformedrasqarpart thereof. 'Theinner member :23, which inlay-be: readily fabricated --.as a stamping,:ufits inside.theqcylindricalqjskirt 17 o'f-the .shell 22, and an inner. cylindrical'jflange. 24 ;on ;theshell, :which formsthe aperture 15% in the 31362.61: zmember,; -is spun radially out- -wardly: and; forwardly .,-over ,.:.diametrically opposite pads provided by; radially; inwardly: projecting. tangstZS: on the ring-.likemember 23, asgbestseen in. Figure I 2, :to holdthe latter connected to the shell-22.

. Asbe'sL-seen in. Figures 3 and; 6, :the panelis provided with upper. and: lower diametrically opposite notches; 26 and; substantially. largendaterally; opposite notches '27, 1 all of which open ,to-theaccessholelZ. Diametrically opposite? mugs-.29, 'projectingvrearwardly' from the :periphery r of the-ring-like inner :member .123: and received in: the

bottompo'rtions of thezupper and :lower notches126 in the panel, servecto: hold the innerrspring-member 1230f the bezel member against rotation relative ''-tothe panel and :locate the entire, bezel memberon the frontrofgthepanel,

ally opposite V notches- 27, in the panel, it beingunderstood that these notches have sufficiently greater..arcuate ,length than .the notchesl26 to. accommodate. thehook-likqfipgers 18 as they, are passed throughthepanel.

The two hook-like fingers extend circumferentially from their arms in the same direction around the exterior of the casing 10, namely in a clockwise direction as seen in Figures 4 and 6. The edges 33 of the spring fingers which face the rear of the panel diverge from the plane thereof toward the outer ends of the fingers and engage behind correspondingly angled surfaces 34 on the laterally opposite lugs 19 on the mounting member to afiord the hereinbefore mentioned bayonet joint 20 between the bezel and mounting members. Although the surfaces 33 and 34, on the spring fingers and lugs 19 respectively, can beconsidered as being substantially parallel to the plane of the panel 5, the most secure mounting of the instrument on the panel is achieved when these surfaces are disposed at a slight acute angle to the panel in the manner just described, since a camrning or wedging engagement is then eflected between the lugs 19 and the forward edges 33 of the spring fingers. draws the bezel and mounting members together to thereby cause a portion of the instrument panel to be tightly clamped between the bezel member and the abutments 19' and 21 on the exterior of the mounting member.

An important feature of the bezel member resides in the manner in which the inner ring-like member 23 is i secured to the outer shell portion 22. The clinched joint between these members is effected at localized areas of the ring 23 by the engagement of the spun-over inner flange 24 of the outer shell 22 with the pads provided by the radially inwardly projecting tangs 25 on the inner spring ring. The pads or tangs 25 are located at points relatively remote from both spring arms 31 with the result that during final wedging of the lugs 19 along the bases of the spring fingers 18 substantial portions of the spring ring adjoining the base of the arms 31 are free to flex without interference from the flange 24 on the bezel, in a direction to permit the arms 31 to yield rearwardly toward the lugs 19, thus contributing to the resiliency of.

the bayonet joint without the provision of other spring means. The resultant forward bias imparted to the lock casing through the bayonet joint insures a firm, nonrattling engagement between the abutments 19 and 21 and the rear face of the panel.

It is another important feature of this invention that once the lugs 19 are wedged against the base portions of the fingers 18, as seen in Figure 1, the mounting member or lock casing is prevented from rotation in either direction to a position at which the bayonet connection between it and the bezel member is disabled. Counterclockwise relative rotation of the instrument is of course prevented by the engagement of the abutments 19 with the longitudinal edges41 of the spring arms from which the spring fingers project when the bayonet connection is established. The prevention of clockwise rotation of the lock casing is achieved through the provision of a ratchet-like connection between each spring finger and its adjacent lug 19 comprising a barb 36 cut in the rear edge of the spring finger and directed radially inwardly toward the adjacent side of the mounting member. As the lock casing is rotated counterclockwise, each barb rides up a tapered surface 38 formed as a reduced rearward extension of the lug 19 and snaps over an abrupt shoulder 39 thereon at the same time that the abutments 19 are wedged firmly against the bases of the spring fingers 18. The abutments 39, of course, extend longitudinally along the exterior of the mounting 'memebr and their surfaces, which are engaged by the free edges of the barbs 36, are substantially normal to the plane of the panel 5.

Because rotation of the bezel member relative to the panel is prevented by the engagement of the tangs 29 on the spring ring in the notches 26 in the panel, the bezel member thus precludes any possibility of the instrument rotating on the panel.

It will be observed that the rearward force upon the spring fingers exerted by their wedging or camming ac- Such wedging forcibly of the panel.

tion with the cooperating angularly disposed surfaces on the lugs 19 flexes the inner spring ring in such a manner that the free ends of the spring fingers are urged toward one another, into snug engagement with the sides of the lock casing, preventing rattling between these members and assuring security of the ratchet-like connection between the barbs 36 and the shoulders 39 with which they coact.

In assembling the lock mechanism to the panel the bezel member 7 is first applied to the front of the panel with the tangs 29 thereon received in vthe bottom portions of the notches 26 opening to the edge of the access hole in the panel and with the arms 31 extending through the notches 27 and the spring fingers disposed at the rear of the panel. a

The lock mechanism, namely the casing -with the lock cylinder 9 in place therein, is applied to the rear of the panel by moving the lock mechanism bodily forwardly while holding it in a position displaced substantially 45 in the clockwise direction from its installed position seen in Figure 6. To facilitate initial installation of the instrrunent in the panel, the mounting member may be provided at its front end with four radial lugs 40, each circumferentially displaced 45 from the lugs 19 and 21. The rear faces of the lugs 40 lie in a common plane and are engageable with the front face of the panel to pre clude rearward displacement of the lock casing. When the instrument is held in its rotational position of inserttion shown in Figure 4, the lugs 40 align with the notches 26 and 27 in the panel and readily pass therethrough. Counterclockwise rotation of the instrument to establish the bayonet connection brings the lugs into engagement with the unnotched edge portions of the access hole, where they cooperate with the lugs 19 and 21 to more or less loosely retain the mounting member of the instrument on the back of the panel. 1 l g In the inserting position of the instrument, shown in Figure 4, the lugs 19 on the sides of the mounting member clear the extremities of the spring fingers 18 to allow the lugs 40 to be passed through the notches in the panel and to enable the lugs 19 to engage the rear face Rotation of the instrument counterclockwise through from its position shown in Figure 4 engages the bayonet connection and completes the installation, as the lugs 19 strike the edges 41 of the rearwardly projecting arms 31 from which the spring fingers project and the barbs 36 on the spring fingers snap ofl the-inclined sur faces 38 of the reduced rearward extension of thelugs 19 and engage the abrupt shoulders 39 on these extensions to prevent retrograde rotation of the lock mechanisms relative to the panel.

In the particular lock mechanism shown, the casing or mounting member 10 is provided with a longitudinal'rib 42 on its exterior, along the bottom thereof. The forward end of this rib provides one of the abutments 21 which engages the rear of the panel 5 when the lock mechanism is mounted on the panel. As seen best in Figure 3 this rib is of hollow construction and one of its side walls is cut away as at 43 to clear one of the spring fingers 18 on the bezel member as the front portion of the mounting member is inserted forwardly through the access hole in the panel during assembly of the mounting member thereto. The manner in which the spring finger 18 is received in the slot 43 is best shown in Figure 4, which shows the position of the mounting member on the panel after its lugs 40 have been passed forwardly through the notches in the access hole and before the mounting member has been rotated counterclockwise to establish the bayonet joint between the bezel and mounting members. Counterclockwise rotation of the mounting member to establish the bayonet connection carries the rib 42 away. from the adjacent spring finger 18 and this finger may be said to emerge from its initial position inside the rib shown in Figure 4.

engage?!) According to this. invention it is ..also, .,possible to semfployl the. bezel. member- 7 toi limit. forward,.projection: of

.sameltimeto hold theilock cylinder 9 1against forward displacement: from -.the .mounting..member or. casing..l0.

maybe: effected; byv providing ia.shoulder- 45- mm. the lock cylinder .projecting a .short vdistance .out-

wardly from. itsgexterior-l (see Eigure .2) .and whichais normally received-in; a .counterbore '46 in-v the. vfront end ofthe mounting member-to'permit rotation-of the cylinder relative to the .casing 10. .The front .surface .of i this shoulder J 45 .engages .the inwardly vcurled-.fiange-M. .of :the shell portion. 22 vof. :the .bezelmembermtoadefinethe .for-

. wardlimit of motion .of 1the r-push button ;11t. and,-.as

stated, to preclude forward -displacement zof the .lock

- c. ylin der. from. the casing, without in any-wise interferring with rotation .of thecylinderbetween lockedaand unlocked positions.

..From. the foregoingadescriptiontakenwith the accompanyingv drawings, .it ibe a'readilyaapparent to .those skilled in the-art-that nthis-..-invention,.-provides E311 exeprionally simpleyeLsecu-re means for=attaching.-.an:instrument .toaan instrument? panel, whereby: suchtzattaehment may be accomplished entirelywithout the use'rofr-tools.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Means xforisecuring .ithemountingt me'mber of an instrument to-a,panel-.in line with-tan access hole in the panel, comprising: abutment means on the exterior of "said member engageable Wifl1"Ol18 face of the; panel;- at f-a plurality-of locations spaced around said access-hole; -=a bezel member-having an annular front portion eng-a'geable-With the other face of th'e p'anel; cooperating means on the panel and on one of said members interengageable to hold the latter in a predetermined position on the panel relative to said access hole and against rotation relative to the panel; and other cooperating means on said members substantially providing a bayonet joint therebetween rendered effective by rotation of the other of said members in one direction relative to said nonrotatable member to hold said members against separation, with portions of the panel clamped between the bezel member and said abutment means to maintain the mounting member in position on the panel and to maintain the annular front portion of the bezel member in engagement with said other face of the panel, with its aperture in line with the access hole in the panel.

2. The securing means set forth in claim 1 wherein said other cooperating means comprises a lug on one of said members and an arm on the other of said members having a circumferentially extending hook-like finger on its outer end portion engageable with a surface on the lug which is disposed substantially parallel to the plane of the panel to hold said members clamped to the panel.

3. The securing means set forth in claim 2 further characterized by the provision of a barb on said finger engageable behind a surface on said lug which is substantially normal to the panel, to prevent relative rotation between said members in a direction to disable said bayonet joint therebetween.

4. Means for securing the mounting member of an instrument to a panel in line with an access hole in the panel, comprising: a plurality of lugs on the exterior of said member having coplanar forwardly facing surfaces engageable with the rear face of a panel at a plurality of locations spaced around an access hole in the panel, said lugs also having rearwardly facing surfaces substantially parallel to the plane of the forwardly facing surfaces thereon; a bezel member having an annular front portion engageable with the front face of a panel; means on the bezel member providing diametrically opposite tangs engageable in notches in the panel to hold the bezel member in a predetermined position on the panel secured against rotation relative to the panel ,havingspring fingersflthereonaextending..eircumferentially .in onesdirection fmm said arms-.and engageableabehind said lugs on. themounlingmember :togprovidea. bayonet joint between said members rendered effeotive byxrotation. of .the mountingwmemberuin .theopposite: direction relative ..to 1 the bezel. member, whichjoint prevents separation of said membersfromthe. panel iand-holdsnthem --with--a-. portion of the; panel. clamped: between the-.bezel member and said-lugs on. the. mounting member.

.5. iThe securing-means set i forthL-in 1 claim '4 further .characterized-bywthefact'that .-one.-of= said spri'ng fingers 1 is .provided -;.with afbarb strucktherefrom, said. .barbi :he- .ing. directed inwardly-toward.theumouhting: member :and engageable with an abutment on Ithe exterior of athe mounting -member= to prevent rotation t of thew-latter Hill a direction a to .dis-able eth'e -bayonet joint between said members. a a

' 6. -'Il1e-securing: means=2setiforth in. claimeS further characterized bykthe fact .thatwsaidw-lugs on wthe exterior oft-the mountingwmembernhave; rear; portions of reduced .height' =upon 1 which said: spring ifinge'rs ':rest,'; one 1 of said z-reduced iheightyportions shavinguthe abutment zthereon .-with which=said= :ba-rbion/the -.,springf .kfingerr :is-t engageable to preclude rotation of the mounting member inazidirecttiont to idisableuther bayonet: joint :between; said rrnembers.

. 7. -:Means 'Tforzsecuring" the :mounting @memberwof :;an

instrument to the rear of a panel in line with ania'cce'ss =.-.hole-sina?theg;panel, comprising: afrontsportiom on said Jnember projecting. forwardly; through :i s'aidz access whole 'toilocate: said m'en'tbersdnetherpahel; sabutments. on 431116 exterior. :of; said r member engaged 1? awithz thefireal flf'fthe panel to limit the extent which said front portion of the mounting member projects through the access hole; circumferentially spaced lugs on the front portion of the mounting member, projecting radially outwardly therefrom, and engaging the front of the panel to prevent rearward detachment of said member from the panel except upon rotation of the mounting member to a position at which said lugs align with notches in the panel opening to said access hole; a bezel member engaging the front of the panel and having tangs thereon engaged in certain of said notches in the panel to locate the bezel member with respect to said access hole and to prevent rotation of the bezel member relative to the panel; and cooperating means on the mounting and bezel members providing a bayonet joint therebetween by which the bezel member is held against separation from the front of the panel and said members are drawn toward one another to effect clamping of a portion of the panel between the bezel member and said abutments on the mounting member, said bayonet joint being established as a consequence of rotation of the mounting member relative to the bezel member and the panel from said position thereof at which the mounting member may be detached from the panel.

8. Means for securing the mounting member of an instrument to a panel in line with an access hole in the panel, comprising: a bezel member having an annular front portion adapted to fit over the marginal edge portion of an access hole in a panel, at the front face of the panel, and having an arm extending rearwardly from said annular front portion, to project through the access hole, said arm terminating in a circumferentially extending finger having a front surface substantially parallel to the annular front portion of the bezel member, said finger having a radially inwardly projecting barb thereon; a lug on the mounting member of the instrument having a surface engageable with said front surface on the finger to provide a bayonet joint therewith engageable upon rotation of said member in one direction relative to the bezel member, said lug having an abrupt shoulder engageable by the barb upon establishment ofthe bayonet connection topreventrotation of said member in the opposite direction; and means on themounting member of the instrument defining a forwardly facing abutment engageable with' the rear face of a panel upon establishment of the bayonet connection'between said members to clamp the panel between said abutment and the front portion of the bezel member.

9. A bezel member for securing the mounting member of an instrument to the rear of a panel, in line with an access hole in the panel, said bezel member comprising: a spring member having an annular front portion with a pair of diametrically opposite integral tangs projecting radially inwardly therefrom, said spring member having a pair of integral arms extending rearwardly from its annular front portion, circumferentially spaced from said tangs, each of said arms terminating at its rear in an integral circumferentially projecting finger, both-of said fingers projecting in the same direction and each having a surface facing and substantially' parallel to the plane of the annular front portion of the spring member;- and an annular outer shell covering the front face of the annular portion of said spring member and having flange portions engaged with said tangs on the spring member to prevent separation of the shell and the spring member while permitting the annular portion of the spring member to flex in such a manner that the arms thereon can move rearwardly.

10. The bezel member of claim 9, wherein each of said fingers has an integral radially inwardly bent barb cut therein.

11. The bezel member of claim 9 wherein said surface on each of said fingers is disposed at an acute angle to the plane of the annular front portion of the spring member, diverging from said plane toward the tips of the fingers.

toward one another and between which'pressure is applied during use of the retainer to place said armsin ten sionand thereby 'cause'flatwise rearwardflexure of those arcuate portionsof the body whichjextend circumferentially between the pads and have the arms joined thereto, and

whereby the fingers-are biased toward one another." 13.-The retainer set forth in claim wherein said fingers are curvedsubstantia'lly concentrically to the'axis of the retainer body; and further characterized by the provision of a barb on one of said fingersstruck radially wardly from a portion of the finger remote from theretainer body, with the free edge of the barb facing in'the direction of the arm from which said finger projects."

References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,040,258 Jacobi,;; MaytlZ, 1936 2,208,003 r, Jacobi July 16,1940 2,306,022 Lach nec. 22, 1942 2,573,061 7 Raymond a Oct. 30, 1951 

